Punjab gov snubs official over remarks on India over attacks

October 17, 2009 17:58 IST

The governor of Pakistan's Punjab province, Salman Taseer, has pulled up a senior Lahore city official of for alleging that an Indian intelligence agency was involved in three recent terrorist attacks in which 29 people were killed.

In scathing remarks, Taseer told Lahore Commissioner Khusro Pervez that he had "no knowledge of what is going on the world". Hours after groups of terrorists attacked three security facilities in Lahore on Thursday, Pervez had claimed that India's Research and Analysis Wing agency was behind the attacks.

Taseer said: "It is premature to blame India for the October 15 attacks as anyone can get arms from anywhere in today's world. The make of arms is not proof unless you have tangible evidence." Earlier, Interior Minister Rehman Malik too had told civil and police officials that there should not be speculation about the perpetrators of the attacks without evidence.

Taseer further said, "Instead of blaming someone, we should think about improving our security. Security lapses allowed terrorists to enter security zones of law enforcement agencies. "We need to pay more attention to security. I believe they are not Taliban or mujahideen but just terrorists and traitors involved in subversive activities in Pakistan," he said referring to the gunmen who carried out the attacks that left 19 people dead.

Ten attackers were either gunned down by security forces or blew themselves up in attacks on three law enforcement agency establishments. Tehreek-i-Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attacks.